Process of treating hydrocarbon oils



Dec. 5, 1939. H. E. DRENNAN PROCESS OF TREATING mmzocmsou' OILS Filed May 19, 1936 INVENTOR. HARRY E. BRENNAN ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Harry E. Drennan, Whittenburg, Tex., assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation .of Delaware Application May 19, 1936, Serial No. 80,627

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of treating hydrocarbons for the purpose of producing therefrom an improved type of motor fuel. In its more specific aspects, the present invention relates to the treatment of hydrocarbons of the gasoline type to convert the same into gasoline like products having high anti-knock qualities.

The object of this invention, therefore, is to treat hydrocarbons of the gasoline type to improve their qualities.

A still further object of this invention is to treat hydrocarbons of the gasoline type by contacting the same with Brucite and thereby improve the anti-knock qualities of the same.

Briefly, by this invention it is proposed to produce gasoline like products of high quality by passing hydrocarbon oils in vapor phase, while maintained in a highly heated or superheated form, into contact with Brucite which is maintained by the heat of the vapors or otherwise at a temperature above the normal vapor temperature at the existing pressure of the hydrocarbons under treatment.

The following description, which is a preferred type of operation, is offered merely for purpose of disclosing the different stages to include the various temperatures and conditions which exist and is not to be considered as limitations thereto, as the method is capable of many variations which are included within the general scope of the invention.

The figure of the drawing illustrates diagrammatically-one, type of apparatus for efiecting the present invention.

The hydrocarbon oil to be treated is introduced through pipe H! by means of a pump l I and forced into a heating coil l2 contained in the furnace l3 which may be heated by any suitable means. In coil [2 the oil is vaporized and heated to any desirable temperature, and the heated vapors pass from coil l2 to a continuation thereof I2A wherein the vaporized oil is superheated and from whence it passes through the pipe l4 into a catalytic treatment tower IS in which there is contained a body of Brucite, designated by the reference numeral IS. The vapors entering the tower I5 pass through the body l6 of Brucite which is maintained by the heat of the vapors, or by any other suitable means, at a desired temperature. The treated vapors leave the tower [5 near the bottom thereof and flow through a pipe I! controlled by valve 31, into a fractionating tower l8 where the product is cut to the desired end point, whether it be gasoline or tractor fuel, and which may be withdrawn through pipe l9 controlled by valve 20.

The vapors pass overhead from the fractionating tower [8 through the conduit 2| and into a second tower 22 containing a body 23 of clay through which the vapors pass. Vapors leave the clay containing tower 22 through conduit 24 and pass through a condenser 25 and then flow through conduit 26 to a tank 21 from which they are withdrawn through pipe 28, controlled by valve 29, to storage.

line 2i is closed,

Condensates accumulating in the towers l5 and 22 may be withdrawn from the bottoms thereof through the pipes 34 and 35 respectively, which are controlled by the valves 36 and 31.

The invention contemplates fractionating or refractionation of the hydrocarbon oils treated by the process when required. Examples are given below to clarify the process but are not to be interpreted as limitations to the invention.

Example 1.Cracked gasoline was vaporized and the vapors heated to 700 F. and passed through a tower containing Brucite screened to 10-30 mesh. The tower was maintained at about 700 F. The rate-of passing the gasoline vapors .through the Brucite was equivalent to 6 bbls. of

distillate, per hour per ton of Brucite. Tests on the charge and make were as follows:

Charge Make Gravity, A. P. I 56. 3 53. 5

Initial boiling point 83 102 End point F 408 448 Percent residue." 1 1 Percent recovery 97 96 Percent over at 212 F 24. 5 26 Percent loss 1. 5 3.0

Percent sulfur 0. 104 0. 099

Octane N0 58. 9

Tetra ethyl lead to 70 octane N0., cc. per gallon 2. 3 7

Charge Make Gravi A 56. 3 54.

Initial oiling point 83 110 5% F 133 148 107 F 155 168 F 194 196 30% F 225 224 40'7 F 250 250 5 a "F 279 274 00% F 303 300 End point "F 408 448 Percent loss 1. 5 2. 0 Percent recovery 97 97 Percent over at 212 F 24. 5

25 Percent residue 1 1 Percent sulfur 0. 104 0. 087 Octane No 58. 9 61. 8 Tetra ethyl lead to 70 octane No., cc. per gallon. 2. 3 5

35 to 5,000 pounds and the temperature from 800 to -1,500 F. e

In the practice of this invention it is to be understood that nothing herein stated relative to the description thereof is intended to restrict the 40 type of hydrocarbons of the motor fuel or gasoline range or type that may be treated in accordance with the teachings of this present invention, and accordingly hydrocarbons of the gasoline type or within the gasoline or motor fuel range, derived from distillation, cracking, polymerization, or by any other .manner and from anysource, may be treated by the methodherein described.

I claim:

1. A process for improving the anti-knockcharacteristics of hydrocarbons boiling within the gasoline range, which comprises passing said hydrocarbons in the absence of added hydrogen into contact with a catalyst consisting of Brucite at a temperature within the range 500 to 1200" E, at a pressure of atmospheric or higher, and at a flow rate suflicient that only a minimum of cracking occurs, thereby obtaining gasoline boiling hydrocarbons of improved anti-knockcharacteristics. V

2. A process of treating hydrocarbons, which comprises passing hydrocarbons boiling substan-v tially within the gasoline range and in the absence of added hydrogen over a body of Brucite while at a temperature within the range of 500 to 1200 F., at a. pressure of atmospheric or higher, and at a flow rate so regulated that the product obtained also boils substantially within the gasoline range, thereby improving the anti-knock characteristics of said gasoline.

3. A process for improving the anti-knock characteristics of hydrocarbon motor fuels boiling within the gasoline range, whichcomprises vaporizing said fuels, superheating said vapors to a temperature within the range 500 to 1200 F., passing said hydrocarbons while at a temperature within said range into contact with a body of Brucite, at a pressure of atmospheric or higher and at a flow rate suflicient that substantially only a minimum of cracking occurs.

HARRY E. BRENNAN. 

